The Contents of A Christmas Knee-Sock

Christmas at our house was a pretty simple affair on the surface. Three gifts from Santa and hanging up our stockings on Christmas Eve.

Bev said that the boys wanted our socks because they were able to hold more surprises than their own stinky socks.

Every year, we could count on having an orange in the bottom of your sock, some peanuts in the shell, candy and a tiny gift or two.

I have been thinking about how to keep things simple this year for my own grandchildren. I believe that they have reached an age that they can give as much as they get. We might put together a couple gift baskets or to bake some cookies. I love to encourage them to put the change into the Salvation Army Buckets.

November is our Thankful Month and my friends on Facebook have sharing their appreciation for the blessings of family, friends and events.

For the next 28 Days, it would be nice that our gifts to each other could be kind and thoughtful words and the sharing of recipes and family traditions.

Santa Claus only comes once a year, but Jesus has been here for an Eternity. It is His Birth that has given us a gift that can be shared with all humanity. He never needed a door-buster sale to show His Compassion or Love. Black Friday only offers a temporary thrill with toys that get broken, appliances that end up in a thrift store and a debt hang-over.

A holiday is not about spending money or waiting in lines for the newest trendy toy. It is about taking the time out to appreciate your loved ones, accepting every hug that comes your way and letting everyone know how much you care about them.

I have so many great memories of Christmas. Our Dad loved it so. We didn't have weeks of endless shopping, just one trip to Gooding and cream-puffs for a treat. King's Department Store, P & H Hirsh and Western Auto provided great shopping experiences.

I think that I would give anything to give Dad another package of socks for Christmas or to leave him a carrot or two on a plate as a treat for being our Santa Claus. He would always suggest carrots over cookies for Santa.

Knee-Socks don't hold all that much when a person compares them to the customized stockings that we see today. But the real treasures are the memories and traditions that we share as a family.

Fixing fence is the one of the hardest jobs on a ranch. I no longer live on a ranch, but I do know what hard work is. Fences are everyone's concern, but nowadays,the "hole" is always your neighbor's side not your own. It used to be that you would respect your neighbor and mend the fence together. If their cows got in your field, a simple phone call resolved the problem. You might even saddle up your own horse and help them gather them up. We need more people who are willing to roll their sleeves up and fix the fence regardless of who your neighbor is.
There are people in this country who need to be reminded that a fence is like the way you should conduct your life. Your posts should be straight and neat. The wire needs to be stretched tight and your gate might be closed, but can still be easily opened. And most of all, we can all saddle
up together and ride the range, it won't matter if you have an Appaloosa, Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. The cows still have to be gathered, fences have to be fixed, and the range is a wide open space of opportunity for us all.